National Drug Intelligence Center

Title:

Arkansas
Drug Threat Assessment

Publication Date: October2003

Document ID: 2003-S0389AR-001

Archived on: January 1, 2006.
This document may contain
dated information. It remains available to provide
access to historical materials.

This report is a strategic assessment that addresses the status and
outlook of the drug threat to Arkansas.
Analytical judgment determined the threat posed by each drug type or
category, taking into account the most current quantitative and
qualitative information on availability, demand, production or
cultivation, transportation, and distribution, as well as the effects of a
particular drug on abusers and society as a whole. While NDIC sought to
incorporate the latest available information, a time lag often exists
between collection and publication of data, particularly demand-related
data sets. NDIC anticipates that this drug threat assessment will be
useful to policymakers, law enforcement personnel, and treatment providers
at the federal, state, and local levels because it draws upon a broad
range of information sources to describe and analyze the drug threat to
Arkansas.

Your questions, comments, and suggestions for future
subjects are welcome at any time. Addresses are
provided at the end of the page.

The production, distribution, and abuse of illicit drugs pose a
serious threat to Arkansas. Little Rock is the primary market area in the state
and also serves as a transit point for drugs being transported to other states.
Mexican criminal groups dominate the transportation and distribution of most
illicit drugs throughout Arkansas. Local independent dealers, street gangs, and
outlaw motorcycle gangs also distribute drugs in the state.

Methamphetamine is a principal drug threat to Arkansas,
primarily because of the drug's ready availability and the violence and
environmental harm that often result from methamphetamine production and abuse.
Methamphetamine produced by Mexican criminal groups in Mexico, California, and
southwestern states is widely available in Arkansas. Methamphetamine produced in
the state, generally by Caucasian local independent producers, also is
available. Mexican criminal groups are the primary transporters and wholesale
distributors of methamphetamine produced in Mexico, California, and southwestern
states. Local independent producers control the transportation and distribution
of the methamphetamine they produce within the state. Mexican criminal groups,
Caucasian local independent dealers, street gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs
distribute methamphetamine at the retail level throughout Arkansas.

Cocaine, particularly crack, poses a significant threat to
Arkansas because it is readily available, highly addictive, and frequently
associated with violent crime. Powdered cocaine is available throughout most of
the state, while crack cocaine primarily is available in the larger cities.
Mexican criminal groups dominate the transportation of powdered cocaine into
Arkansas, smuggling the drug from Mexico through California and southwestern
states to Arkansas primarily in private and commercial vehicles. These groups
also dominate wholesale powdered cocaine distribution throughout the state.
African American street gangs and local independent dealers also distribute some
powdered cocaine at the wholesale level. African American street gangs and local
independent dealers are the primary distributors of powdered and crack cocaine
at the retail level. Mexican criminal groups also distribute powdered cocaine at
the retail level, but to a lesser extent. African American street gangs and
local independent dealers typically convert powdered cocaine into crack for
retail distribution at or near distribution sites. Retail cocaine distribution
commonly occurs on street corners, in bars, and at private residences and is
facilitated by the use of pagers, pay phones, and cellular telephones.

Marijuana is the most widely available and frequently abused
illicit drug in Arkansas. Most of the marijuana available in the state is
produced in Mexico, although some cannabis is cultivated locally. Mexican
criminal groups, local independent dealers, and street gangs transport marijuana
into Arkansas in private and commercial vehicles. Mexican criminal groups and
local independent dealers are the primary wholesale- and retail-level marijuana
distributors in the state. Street gangs also distribute marijuana at the retail
level. Marijuana typically is distributed at the retail level from bars, strip
clubs, schools, parking lots, residences, businesses, and at concerts.

Other dangerous drugs pose varying threats to Arkansas. Other
dangerous drugs include the club drugs MDMA, GHB and its analogs, LSD, and
Rohypnol; the hallucinogen psilocybin; inhalants; and diverted pharmaceuticals
including hydrocodone (Lortab, Lorcet, Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet,
Percodan), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), codeine, and benzodiazepines (Valium,
Xanax). Club drugs and psilocybin are transported into Arkansas in private
vehicles, by couriers aboard commercial aircraft, and via package delivery
services. Many of these drugs are distributed and abused by middle-class,
suburban young adults and college students at raves, nightclubs, and on college
campuses. Inhalant abusers, primarily adolescents, inhale chemical vapors from a
variety of substances, many of which are common household products. Diverted
pharmaceuticals generally are obtained throughout the state by diversion
techniques including improper prescribing practices, prescription forgery, and
"doctor shopping."

Heroin poses a low threat to Arkansas. Mexican black tar heroin
and brown powdered heroin are available on a limited basis, primarily in the
larger cities in the state such as Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Little Rock, and
West Memphis. Mexican criminal groups are the primary transporters of heroin
into Arkansas. Local Caucasian independent distributors also transport heroin
into Arkansas to a limited extent. Heroin generally is not distributed at the
wholesale level in the state. Mexican criminal groups and local independent
dealers are the primary retail distributors of heroin.